For those who still don't know, Google Voice (GV) is a free service for receiving all calls and SMS text messages. Users of the new service must keep their existing phone carriers; Google Voice functions as a forwarding number. GV's cool features include: free long-distance domestic calls and SMS text messages; calls that can be answered on any of your phones (home, cell, work); voice-mail transcribed and e-mailed to you; personalized voice-mail greeting by caller; free conference calls; and the ability to record calls and store them online and to switch phones during a call. The precursor to Google Voice is VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), which allows you to make phone calls over a broadband Internet connectionMore information at this link below....
http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html
The affects Google Voice has upon its competitors!
"Google Voice just killed Skype" in terms that it is marginally cheaper than Skype, while Google Voice calls to international mobile phones are as much as a third cheaper than Skype’s.
Other concerns on Google Voice!
New York Times Article-Google Voice may raise more hackles with privacy advocates, and perhaps regulators, than it does with competitors. The service would allow Google, which already collects vast amounts of data about the behavior of Internet users, to gather information on their calling habits.
"It raises two distinct problems,” said Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. “In the privacy world, it is increased profiling and tracking of users without safeguards. But the other problem is the growing consolidation of Internet-based services around one dominant company.”
More information at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/12/technology/internet/12google.html
Other's argue that this service will give Google enormous amounts of information about the intimate details of your everyday life, including recordings of your voice mail and possibly your phone calls. Combined with what Google already knows about you, it could mean your privacy is at an end. What's next: Google Bedroom??????
Why Apple decided to block Google Voice?
Google Voice gives people an additional phone number that's not tied to any one phone line. People can program the service to direct incoming calls first to a cell phone, then a work number and finally a home number, for example. Users can set up voicemail and have Google Voice e-mail transcripts of their messages. It can also be used to send text messages and place calls - even international ones - at low rates paid to Google, not the carriers. Those calls do burn regular cell phone plan minutes, but the idea has still prompted widespread speculation that Apple and AT&T saw a Google Voice app for the iPhone as a potential competitor to their monthly mobile plans. Apple also said it also was concerned that the app would send the contents of people's iPhone contact lists to Google's servers.
This is how it works!!!!
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